Mercury Retrograde in July-August 2012 - How Will The Inferior Conjunction in Leo Manifest in the Future?

by Robert Wilkinson

Following up on the general meaning and function of the "Inferior conjunction" between the Sun and Mercury, today we explore specifics of the current Inferior conjunction of July 28, 2012 at 7 Leo.

Because this particular Inferior Conjunction is an extremely important event due to when and where it's happening, this is a long article that will pull together a comprehensive overview of what's been going on for the past three years.

The inferior conjunction is when Mercury (mind) conjuncts the Sun (life) while retrograde. This indicates that signals, messages, and ideas from either outer sources or subconscious sources will fuse with the life principle, setting the tone for the lessons involving how our minds are relating to our lives during the next four months. Since Mercury is retrograde, the degree of the inferior conjunction shows how our lives will merge with our perceptions and bring forth a new understanding of our light.

This degree is said to be "The constellations in the sky.” Rudhyar says this symbolizes a “sense of primordial wonder and awe before life,” “unquenchable faith in a spiritual being complementing our own,” and “Realization.”

He goes on to say in The Astrological Mandala that this refers to “the power of basic spiritual values which refer to man’s common humanity and to all enduring archetypes.” He states this is about the stars symbolizing “basic and archetypal” experiences that all of humanity shares across the miles and centuries, and that the constellations represent a sense of “order in existence” that show us both our own psychological projections upon Cosmos, as well as the Cosmic projection of order on humanity.

He further tells us that here “we deal with archetypal factors which endure through a long series of generations,” and show us how “the nearly unchanging patterns of star groups are opposed to... ever changing fashions and social ideals,” showing us “permanence.” This degree falls in the Span of Assurance, and is the second degree in the Scene of Combustion on the emotional-cultural level.

Dr. Marc E Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the infinite regression in all universal reality” demonstrating that it’s fruitless to abandon the known for the unknown, and that though cosmos is illimitable in our ability to quest to the extent of whatever is meaningful to us, our “assurance lies within (our) own being and experience.” As he states, “the stars are (our) confirmation, never (our) explanation.”

He offers us the keyword SURITY. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “consistent effectiveness in understanding and self-ordering.”

So this is a degree of seeing permanent patterns, and the dance we as individuals do within these unchanging patterns which “confirm” who and what we are, but never “determine” who and what we are. We should be able to see some relatively permanent patterns beyond those that change, and find new forms of self-expression, creativity, and a sense of awe in the face of experiences which transcend our limited perceptions in the moment.

The next four months are a time to see that which changes and that which doesn’t, and come to some deep realizations about how we are the projection of an element of Cosmic reality that transcends our limited existence and changing interpretations. We should be able to catch glimpses of how the lessons of September 2005 through May 2006 have shaped our lives since then, and see some relatively permanent patterns arising in our lives since then.

We may move from current vision "back to the future," and gain a new perspective on the past 4 months since this Inferior conjunction point trines the last one in Aries. This may resemble something we glimpsed then, and bring a strange return of self-expression or creativity we once had but forgot. We can see how to adapt old forms of being and self-awareness to current circumstances, or conversely, through the retrograde lens see how this has happened in our lives before now.

Mercury introduced these energies when it first crossed this degree on July 1-2. The Inferior Conjunction now makes this a "hot spot" for months to come. One major factor at work in the chart for the Inferior Conjunction include the Sun triseptile Neptune, triggering the Grand Irrationality, with Mercury to triseptile Pluto over the next few days, giving a Mercury retrograde flavor to whatever important choices and forks in the road of destiny we’re experiencing at this time.

Add to this Sun sextile Mars and Jupiter, quintile Saturn, trine Uranus and quincunx Pluto, the Moon just separating in a Grand Fire Trine with Sun, Mercury, and Uranus and opposition Jupiter just off a semisquare to Saturn, Mercury quintile Mars, Venus trine Saturn just separating from a quintile to Uranus and tredecile to Neptune, Mars conjunct Saturn, Jupiter triseptile Pluto (entering the Grand Irrationality from Gemini), Saturn quintile Pluto, and Uranus square Pluto.

We will find that the next 4 months are very important around the set of lessons and challenges indicated by these aspect. With the Grand Irrationality front and center, the next 4 months will show some hard-edged choices and changes affecting almost every part or our lives. It will also bring unique gifts via the quintiles involving Sun, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Pluto, and tremendous productivity and stabilization via the sextiles and trines between Sun, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

The Inferior Conjunction between Mercury and the Sun is the second step in a two-conjunction process. The first step is when Mercury conjuncts the Sun in forward motion after its retrograde period. Most recently this occurred at 7 Gemini on May 27, 2012, with Saturn on the exact degree it occupies at the present time.

That “Superior conjunction” featured the Sun and Mercury sextile Uranus and quincunx Pluto, also showing productively unique initiatives along with hard adjustments, somewhat resembling this one. As Mercury is faster than the Sun, after the "Superior conjunction" Mind again outraces Life, gets ahead of the Sun, and explores ideas and perceptions of experiences yet to occur. That’s what we experienced between early April and mid-July.

Then Mercury goes stationary retrograde, and moves into the second step when Mercury again conjuncts the Sun while retrograde. This is when Mind is being absorbed by Life, or Life takes on the results of subconscious or collective ideas returning to source. Eventually Life gets as far from Mind as it can, Mercury goes stationary direct, and begins to speed up preparing for the first step anew in a different part of the zodiac.

In an interesting "co-incidence," many recent stationary points and the Inferior Conjunction points trine other points in previous Mercury retrograde periods. Perhaps by studying the sequence of retrograde, conjunction, and direct points we can see how Mercury, a.k.a Hermes, the Cosmic Magician and Guide of Souls, is steering our long range perceptions, understandings, and coordinations toward Soul understanding.

For example, the last Inferior Conjunction occurred in late March 2012 at 2 Aries, which is trine this Inferior Conjunction in Leo. Taking a look back (always a good thing when Mercury is retrograde!), we were told by Rudhyar that 2 Aries is the second and counterpoint step of Desire on the Actional-Physical level of experience within the span of Realization. Here we could find contrasts to our instinctive growth toward a new life since June 2010, and find humor and objectivity in what occurred between June 2010 and March 2012. This energy has been in play since late March for all of us.

Besides June 2010 when Jupiter first transited this point, it also retrograded back across this degree in August 2010, and again transited this point a third time in Jan-Feb 2011. Add that Uranus “awakened” this degree energy point in late March and most of April 2011, RX’d back across it October-November 2011, and then went across it again January-February 2012, and we should have gotten some significant echoes about these transits over the past several months. That Inferior Conjunction in Aries should have revealed many things about how our life and mind fused during these periods through a heightened objectivity and sense of humor or contrast.

This Inferior Conjunction of mind "looking back" into life will help us reinterpret experiences we've had which showed us what we needed to do to embrace the new future indicated by the last one in Aries. This would imply that either a) we can examine how we previously found objectivity and humor as we entered new ways of life as signals for the future, or b) we need to get back on track through examining how the past 2 years have shown us the way to resurrect past objective, reflective, or humorous views and actions perfect for what has come over these past 4 months.

In the same way, this one at 7 Leo will help us take a look back to examine how we’ve found permanent patterns since 2005-2006m or we’ll find a new way to regard those patterns which were changing and have fallen away since then. We can get back on track with our permanent patterns, and perhaps find new ways of understanding, perceiving, or interpreting the permanent elements in our existence.

The fact that the Inferior Conjunction falls with the Moon at 9 Sagittarius would imply that through the "looking back" and alternative views and understandings, we will get insights into the promise or adventures opened between December 2006 and August 2007 when Jupiter was on or near that point. We may get glimpses of higher truths that have been awakened since then, or we may awaken a new freedom or truth over the next 4 months directly related to what we learned and embraced during those months.

This continues to put the focus on our "emergent self-expression" so that we can embrace a new way of being creative or playful in our world. At this stage of the game, we are being awakened to a greater ability to concentrate to “see the whole picture,” and all have moved through difficult experiences that have given us a new heart strength.

The Moon brings forms through reflection. The Inferior Conjunction is about permanent patterns. The Inferior Conjunction is ruled by the Sun, making the Sun a very powerful factor in coordinating events so we can be led to our Soul. As the Sun’s duality is "Fruitfulness/Sterility," we will see how our ways of responding and acting are manifesting as abundance or barrenness, warmth and light or cold and darkness.

As the backdrop to how our mind and life relate to each other, perhaps we can learn how to deal with Solar energies in ourselves or others from a different angle of view, lighting up what needs illuminating so that we can see what parts of our lives require re-integration or illumination so we can be more consciously illuminated and illuminating in the future. As the Sun is truly a star, perhaps this coming period is about us understanding, in the words of John Lennon, “Who on earth d'you think you are? A superstar? Well right you are! And we all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun, well we all shine on, every one, come on...

Forming aspects show future conditions. This Inferior Conjunction has several significant aspects that I mentioned a few paragraphs back. Besides the Sun triggering the Grand Irrationality and therefore critical forks in the road for all of us, the most powerful aspects are Moon opposed Jupiter, Sun sextile Jupiter trine Uranus, Venus trine Saturn, Saturn quintile Pluto, and Uranus square Pluto, which I’ve written about extensively in the past.

Overall these show us a time of great productivity, many gifts, stable relationships, and the need to find a central order to integrate our varied interests. This should reveal some humanitarian tendencies in each of us that we can productively follow, or at least altruistic inclinations that should be explored.

All in all, the coming 4 months will bring interesting returns of forms of play and creativity, and show us some things of relatively permanent worth. Inspiration will be up for those who can plug in their imagination and play with inertia or “gravitation,” with value and connectedness found through balancing mind and body in ways that re-energize us. There’s a lot of permanence and stability to be found by being at peace when confronted with repeating patterns and accepting that some limitations are “more boon than bondage.”

We can rebuild in healthy ways in balanced interactions that open us to a greater dispassion/compassion, with appreciation one of the great tools to grow safely into a greater group effectiveness. We continue to move through many specialized conditions showing us all how to overcome fear, become more harmless in our interactions with self and others, and transform our interactions to make them more effective and practical.

Generally, the 11 days before the inferior conjunction (fusion) of mind and life is a good time to take a new look at how you can bring out your inner wisdom by adjusting to a future vision or broader perspective that's opening for you. It's also good for getting a new point of view regarding what your imagination is willing to consider and how to coordinate your life to reorganize it productively.

It's great for intuitive flashes, insights into the larger collective consciousness and unconsciousness, and seeing how you're being led to see elements of your Soul you may not have recognized before now. So think back on what's happened in the past week and a half, and find a new way to view how those things may symbolize the future somehow.

Just remember during retrogrades, especially Mercury retrograde, that often things that don't turn out one way lead directly or indirectly to other things somewhat related manifesting down the road. It's as though nothing should be taken at face value, and often what we do or think during Mercury retrograde creates odd echoes in the future that take different shapes, or different functions related to the original intention.

And as usual, here are links to recent articles on what this July-August 2012 Mercury Retrograde in Leo is all about:

Comments

Thanks, Robert! It's my birthday Monday, so many of these aspects apply to my solar return. I'm waiting to hear back from someone muy importante about my creative work (supposedly this Tuesday) and feel like I"m about to jump out of my skin.

Robert, it was an interesting week. I took aside a co-worker who is much younger to express that his social skills/cues needed some work. (In a nice but firm way) - and wrote up a list of books to read (Carnegie, Hill, Robbins) along with body language books to assist. It led to a supervisors' meeting with both of us as he felt hurt. (Long story.)

But the one supervisor saw I was trying to help and related his struggles with alcohol and other things, whereas before we never really had any contact at all. Took action - results were different from expected. (I still have a job.)

Last night, I T-boned a moving car with my bike, jamming my middle finger but good. Mercury hitting the travel and communications areas.

Today, revisited a WIP self-improvement title.

I can only imagine what's in store over the next few days...I think a high altitude helo jump would be a fun capper.

Yes, yes and yes! Interestingly, just this morning I was writing a letter to my sister about how I have looked back this week to 2010 and tracked the progression of events through the lens of astrology. There have been sober lessons yes, but I experienced this time as necessary even as it was unfolding with patience, understanding and even gratitude. I can smile now because I have reached a new milestone in awareness. Leo 7 - my ascendant- i suppose we all love when transitions touch our axis don't we? That grand fire trine touching my natal fire trine: ASC-Neptune-Chiron - allows my Pisces sun to burn bright and to feel so alive and connected and in love with ALL. The Sagittarius Moon touching my progressed Moon - I FEEL it all and it is so marvelous. The lessons of the recent past have paved the road for a better directed future, and I can be right here in the now just knowing. Thank you Robert for laying out all the pieces that enables me to order and synthesize it always. :)

You wrote: "Generally, the 11 days before the inferior conjunction (fusion) of mind and life is a good time to take a new look at how you can bring out your inner wisdom by adjusting to a future vision or broader perspective that's opening for you. It's also good for getting a new point of view regarding what your imagination is willing to consider and how to coordinate your life to reorganize it productively." I'm trying to adjust internally to a major limitation or restriction so that I can still expand in feelings of joy, contentment, and well-being. It's feeling like bondage, not boon... I know I have to make an adjustment and I sense it is possible, but I'm struggling.

Merc Rx review: Yes. Got serious with astrology back in '06 Tx Pluto sq SunMC conj Natal Saturn (ouch) and have benefited today from reading your articles from that time. The last few weeks have been having many "student ready, teacher appears" moments. Thanks!

Robert, thanks so much for your writings!
I met my lover just this past April, we stopped communications May19 and then bumped into each other in early June, stayed together, finding comfort, warmth, but still the communication was wobbly, and I think we are both afraid to lose freedom and how to trust each other. I broke it off on July20, I spent the weekend online, wondering and researching, and looked into his chart deeper, and found he is afflicted by some non-commitment aspects...and so on the 24th I asked him to let us try to work it out, but on the 25th, he came to me and said no, he was unsettled and if this is how it is so early in, he didn't want it.

And this weekend I am online again, looking into the Mercury Retrograde...and you can probably understand my sadness, but I am tying to see the wisdom in it. I'm not sure what it all means, because my knowledge is quite basic.
I think I will email you, perhaps a reading will help. Many kind regards. Tara